Real estate brokerages in Los Angeles and elsewhere have made shifts in their business over the last five months that could be for the long-term.

In early April a dejected-looking Kurt Wisner posted a video in front of an empty van.

Ive got a van parked down here by the L.A. River and its Tuesday, said Wisner, a Compass agent who runs the Courtney & Kurt team. Tuesday is typically a day where we do our broker caravan.

We tell stories, we tell jokes, and its just a great time to be human, Wisner said to the camera. But today, as you can see, the van is empty.

L.A. residential real estate agents lost a fundamental part of their routine when statewide orders issued in March shut down the weekly home caravan tours as well as Sunday open houses.

The stay-at-home orders Gov. Gavin Newsom issued are now five months old.

Throughout this unprecedented disruption to the norms of residential real estate, brokers have tried to stay positive. Theyve discussed pent-up demand and how the Covid-induced recession has let them learn new skills, and freed up time for phone and Zoom calls with clients.

When sales fell in April and May, such optimsm seemed like public relations damage control. But now sales really are up 22 percent in L.A. County year-over-year for July, with sales records being set nationally, according to National Association of Realtors figures. Brokers made adjustments big and small that were unthinkable in February.

Theres layers weve been able to peel off, said Tami Halton Pardee, CEO of Halton Pardee & Partners.

What has stayed and what has changed may come as a surprise. Heres whats in and whats out for residential brokerages in L.A. and elsewhere:

In: Managing the virtual office

When offices shut down in March, many agents, ironically, turned to their office manager.

My manager has been really good at navigating the different reality that we have had, said Alicia Dry Cohen, an agent at Nourmand & Associates. Cohen says her manager, Carolyn Rae Cole, has kept us up to date on issues like applying for unemployment and contract verbiage.

Office managers including Howard Lorey of Nourmand & Associates swear theyve done more work during the pandemic. My job has been more intensely busy since March, Lorey said. I am helping agents redefine their roles.

Spencer Krull, manager broker of Sides Southern California offices, said hes spent an inordinate amount of time providing legal guidance to his agents.

The big difference now is that managers are supposed to be experts in government orders from the state, counties, and cities, Krull said. Agents are asking questions like, How long do I have to wait to do the showing if the seller was exposed to someone with Covid?

To an outsider, the facilitative role of office manager with no sales track record, or leadership decisions is hard to measure.

When Compass laid off 15 percent of all its employees in March, a notice filed with the California employment department revealed that managers of various titles agent experience, construction, strategic growth, associate marketing got a pink slip.

But office managers interviewed say those positions are not like managers at other brokerages (numerous messages left with Compass went unreturned). Traditionally, there is one manager per office, and they are jack-of-all-trades, doing sales training, contract, deal doctoring, legal, and administrative, said Colin Keenan, the managing broker of Westside Estate Agency.

The majority of brokerages maintain the practice of one do-it-all manager per office. But some bigger brokerages created an alternative of specialists, a strategy Keller Williams is credited with pioneering. The Austin-based brokerage began shifting 15 years ago from all-purpose managers to specialists with specific tasks like legal compliance or accounting.

Keller Williams moved to specialists, and Compass has adopted some of that model as well, Keenan said.

Both brokerages have managers focusing on one area, like an accountant who handles the books at multiple offices.

But big brokerages experiments with the office manager role seems to have hardened boutique shops resolve in sticking with the do-it-all manager.

As a deal doctor, legal liability navigator, and sales trainer, office managers are imperative to working in todays market, said DJ Grubb, broker of Oakland boutique Grubb & Co.

Out: The physical office

Brokerages are slowly reassessing their physical presence.

Coldwell Banker, the top L.A. County residential brokerage by sales volume in 2019, made office cutbacks amid the pandemic, though Duran said the firm has no plans for closures for the foreseeable future at the 61 offices it leases in Southern California.

Meanwhile, Coldwell Bankers national rival, Keller Williams, is openly rethinking office space.

The market center of the future will almost certainly consist of smaller physical footprints, said Matt Green, director of growth for Keller Williams. Covid and other market shifts we have experienced continue to show us that office space isnt core to our value proposition.

When agents need to cut costs, Green added, Office space is one of the first things to go.

Sill, Keller Williams has not announced office closings amid the pandemic.

You are not a very good real estate broker if you are in the office anyway, said Suzanne Hollander, professor at the Jerome Bain Research Institute at Florida International University. Many agents just collect their commission check, and fill out some paperwork there.

Despite that, Hollander noted, brokerages from Fisher Island to Beverly Hills have spent millions of dollars on glamour offices.

Realogy, the parent company of Coldwell Banker, Corcoran and Sothebys, listed $491 million in operating lease assets in its latest SEC quarterly report (down from $515 million at the end of 2019).

Coldwells portfolio of over five-dozen California offices include leasing a whole floor at 166 N. Canon Drive in Beverly Hills, an office building in the heart of the tony 90210 ZIP code.

Within walking distance are offices rented by Compass, The Agency, Hilton & Hyland, and Douglas Elliman among other brokerages.

According to the L.A. County assessors office, the building Elliman rents at 150 El Camino Drive has a market value of $40 million. Elliman glammed up the space, and used it on reality TV to market the brokerage, a practice employed by other shops like Oppenheim & Associates and its West Hollywood office.

But when the cameras shut off, offices play a small role. Over the past five to 10 years, Id say the majority of agents spend their time working from home or Starbucks, so a lot of the day-to-day has been over the phone for a while, said Krull of Side.

Agents interviewed basically said the same. The atmosphere and camaraderie there can be great, said one agent. So great that the agent comes into the office, Only when I have to.

Side is distinctive for making agent teams bear the cost of office space. But other brokerages may also find alternatives to the traditional office lease.

Pardee noted her brokerage owns offices in Venice and Culver City on L.A.s West Side. Thats what brokerages should do, buying our own buildings, she said.

Halton Pardee & Partners does one lease one office building in Palm Springs, but the broker says that office might not be worth the trouble. We are looking to go down from three offices to two, Pardee said.

In: Matterport tours Out: The caravan

A key layer Pardee has peeled off is physical sales departments. The broker furloughed two staff members who work on physical sales, and sold one of the two trucks used to transport brokers and got rid of most physical advertising.

Other expenses associated with caravan tours and open houses were also jettisoned.

These were events where everyone got dressed up and it was a time for agents to interact with each other, Krull said.

Sometimes the price of a home could be discerned by the open house spread. Some would have cookies, some would have champagne and cookies, and some would have champagne and sushi, noted Hollander, the real estate professor.

Virtual tours have replaced open houses as the entry point to a new house on the market for brokers and clients alike.

The Sunnyvale, California, company Matterport, which makes immersive 3-D technology, has become an adjective and verb in the brokerage world just as Zoom has for many other businesses.

One thing we added was Matterport tours, Pardee said. We can actually walk people through the house.

Like other brokers interviewed, Pardee has seen such adjustments teaching agents a whole new technology, and the structure by which a home comes onto market as just another cost of doing business.

Residential brokerages could be given a credit as a flexible and resourceful business or one that used a global catastrophe to learn what was really essential to selling homes.

Its a people business, Hollander said. But communicating virtually you can establish some of those same relationships.

Follow this link:
Survival of the slimmest: TRD looks at the future of the residential brokerage - The Real Deal

Built in 1928, abandoned in 2000, and meticulously disassembled in 2016, the Loblaws Groceterias warehouse at Bathurst Street and Lake Shore Boulevard West in Downtown Toronto is soon to be reborn in both the figurative and literal sense as part of Choice Properties'West Block Est. 1928retail and office complex. Four years after the building's brick-by-brick disassembly and cataloguing, a process overseen by heritage expertsERA Architects,the rebuilt and expanded buildingincluding anarchitectsAlliance-designed office structure atop the reconstructed heritage facadesis now preparing to welcome its first tenants.

Looking northeast to West Block, image by Forum contributor Red Mars

Among the businesses set to populate the retail space is namesake grocery store Loblaws, who are just days away from opening their new flagship at this location. Signage for Shoppers Drug Mart has also appeared in recent weeks, while clothing retailer Joe Fresh is also gearing upto open its doors in the building.

Looking northwest to West Block, image by Forum contributor Red Mars

The completed reconstitution of the exterior walls includes restored brick and limestone finishes(which we covered in greater detail in anearlier article covering the project).Another more recent detail that has added to the overall aesthetic is the addition of medallion motif window blinds on the second and third floors of the reconstituted warehouse, prominent along the main Lake Shore Boulevard elevation.

Looking north to West Block, image by Forum contributor Red Mars

Loblaws will occupy 4,000 ft of the ground floor, while Shoppers will occupy 12,000 ft, and Joe Fresh6,400 ft. Loblaws is taking the entire 45,000 ft footprint of the second floor, along with a 1,650 ft mezzanine above. In total, there is 101,378 ftof retail and 160,989 ft of office space at the site. Along the ground floor's Lake Shore Boulevard frontage,smaller spaces are set to include a 1,400 ft cafe and an 1,800 ft office lobby.

Meanwhile,thetwoIBI Group-designed condo towers developed byConcord Adexto the north are also wrapping up construction. Known asThe LakeFront and The LakeShore, the 37 and 41-storey towers are now welcoming their first residents, evidenced by a sign along Bathurst directing residents to a pickup location for their suite keys.While the towers are practically complete, work continues on various elements at the base of the towers, including a two-storey restaurant space set to front Bathurst Street in the base of the west condo tower.

Looking east across Bathurst Street to condo towers, image by Forum contributor Red Mars

Other finishesare beling applied to other retail spacesalong Bathurst andbelow the Gardiner Expressway in a couple of standalone buildings, with a group of four commercial retail units sized at 913 ft, 1,653 ft, 7,599 ft, and 8,858 ft.

Panorama looking northeast from condo drive aisle, image by Forum contributor Red Mars

The Loblaws and Shoppers Drug Martare currently aiming for an August 28 opening.

Additional information about this development can be found in our Database file for the project, linked below. Want to join the conversation? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

* * *

UrbanToronto has a new way you can track projects through the planning process on a daily basis. Sign up for a free trial of our New Development Insiderhere.

Continued here:
Loblaws About to Return to West Block Retail, Office, and Residential Complex - Urban Toronto

Press Play Media LLC

The husband and wife couple behind HGTV series Stay or Sellhave sold their Edina home, but won't be moving too far away.

Heather and Brad Fox announced to their Facebook followers this past week that their $1.25 million home on Dawson Lane was on the market.

It didn't stay on the market for long either, with Heather Fox confirming to BMTN that it has since been sold to a "very sweet fam!"

The couple have made a name for themselves and risen to national prominence for their stylish home remodels in the Twin Cities, having transformed what was a rambler on Dawson Lane into the 4,035-square-feet two story family home after buying it in 2016.

The five-bedroom house was finished with custom walnut cabinets, Cambria quartz countertops and a walk-in pantry in the kitchen, an open staircase with oak slab stairs, an office, and a children's playroom.

Now they've got their sights on another labor of love, having bought "another project house" just a few blocks away on Lake Cornelia.

Heather says selling their home is "bittersweet," with work on their new one expected to take up to a year.

It's been a busy year for the Foxes despite the pandemic, having also opened their studio and lifestyle shop, Foxwell, at 44th and France in Edina.

The pair are also hoping to return to HGTV screens soon, though the virus has delayed a potential second series of Stay or Sell.

Buying or selling? Find a realtor using BMTN's directory

See original here:
Gallery: HGTV stars Heather and Brad Fox sell their $1.25M Edina home - Bring Me The News

Countertop Microwaves Market Trends, In-Depth Research on Market Size, Emerging Growth Factors, Global 2020 Trends and Forecasts 2025

The Countertop MicrowavesMarket report is one of the most comprehensive and important dataabout business strategies, qualitative and quantitative analysis of Global Market.It offers detailed research and analysis of key aspects of the Countertop Microwavesmarket. The market analysts authoring this report have provided in-depth information on leading growth drivers, restraints, challenges, trends, and opportunities to offer a complete analysis of the Countertop Microwavesmarket.

The researchers have considered almost all important parameters for company profiling, including market share, recent development, gross margin, future development plans, product portfolio, production, and revenue. The report includes detailed analysis of the vendor landscape and thorough company profiling of leading players of the Countertop Microwaves market.

Get PDF sample copy of this report(Including impact of Covid-19)@: https://www.marketinforeports.com/Market-Reports/Request-Sample/155789

Top Leading players covered in the Countertop Microwaves market report: GE, Sharp, Whirlpool, Magic Chef, Panasonic, Oster, Danby, Westinghouse, RCA, Frigidaire, Avanti, LG Electronics, Farberware, KitchenAid, Samsung, Nostalgia Electrics, Impecca, Sunbeam, Summit, Cuisinart and More

Key Types:Single DeckDouble Deck

Key End-Use:HouseholdCommercial

The global Countertop Microwaves market is analyzed across key geographies namely: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. Each of these regions is analyzed on basis of market findings across major countries in these regions for a macro-level understanding of the market.

The latest report added by Market Info Reportsdemonstrates that the global Countertop Microwaves market will showcase a steady CAGR in the coming years. The research report includes a thorough analysis of market drivers, restraints, threats, and opportunities. It addresses the lucrative investment options for the players in the coming years. Analysts have offered market estimates at a global and regional level.

Major Points Covered in TOC:

Overview: Along with a broad overview of the global Countertop Microwaves market, this section gives an overview of the report to give an idea about the nature and contents of the research study.

Analysis on Strategies of Leading Players: Market players can use this analysis to gain competitive advantage over their competitors in the Countertop Microwaves market.

Study on Key Market Trends: This section of the report offers deeper analysis of latest and future trends of the Countertop Microwaves market.

Market Forecasts: Buyers of the report will have access to accurate and validated estimates of the total market size in terms of value and volume. The report also provides consumption, production, sales, and other forecasts for the Countertop Microwaves market.

Regional Growth Analysis: All major regions and countries have been covered in the report. The regional analysis will help market players to tap into unexplored regional markets, prepare specific strategies for target regions, and compare the growth of all regional markets.

Segmental Analysis: The report provides accurate and reliable forecasts of the market share of important segments of the Countertop Microwaves market. Market participants can use this analysis to make strategic investments in key growth pockets of the Countertop Microwaves market.

For More Information:https://www.marketinforeports.com/Market-Reports/155789/Countertop-Microwaves-market

The study objectives are:

Customization of the Report:

Market Info Reports provides customization of reports as per your need. This report can be personalized to meet your requirements. Get in touch with our sales team, who will guarantee you to get a report that suits your necessities.

Get Customization of the [emailprotected]:https://www.marketinforeports.com/Market-Reports/Request-Customization/155789/Countertop-Microwaves-market

Contact Us:Mr. Marcus KelCall: +1 415 658 9988 (International)+91 84 839 65921 (IND)Email: [emailprotected]

See the original post here:
Huge Growth of Countertop Microwaves Market and its Latest Trends, Demand, Opportunities and Forecast to 2025|GE, Sharp, Whirlpool, Magic Chef,...

Nashville Tennessean Published 5:00 a.m. CT Aug. 24, 2020

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions

Stay up to date on real estate and development news:Sign up forTheTennessean's business newsletterto get updates right in your inbox.

5641 Cloverland Park Drive, Brentwood 37027

Year built: 2002

Square feet: 3,735

Price: $599,000

Description: Four-bedroom, four-bathroom brick home is on one level with full walk-out basement. Home has lower level office, open floor plan, storage areas in unfinished portion of basement.Home has screened deck and patio.

5641 Cloverland Park Drive, Brentwood 37027(Photo: Homes.com)

More photos:https://www.homes.com/property/5641-cloverland-park-dr-brentwood-tn-37027/id-600027828587/

GET THE LATEST UPDATES:Download the free Tennessean app on your mobile device.

5468 Old Hwy. 96, Franklin 37064

Year built: 2006

Square feet: 2,000

Price: $599,000

Description: Three-bedroom, two-bathroom home is on 1.3 acres and less than 1.5 miles to downtown Leipers Fork. Home has new kitchen, both bathrooms, new hardwood floors on main floor, new carpet upstairs, new deck. Master bedroom is downstairs, and two bedrooms are upstairs. Home has French drain and encapsulated crawlspace.

5468 Old Hwy. 96, Franklin 37064(Photo: Homes.com)

More photos:https://www.homes.com/property/5468-old-96-franklin-tn-37064/id-1000081680759/

1006 Harwick Drive, Franklin 37067

Year built: 2004

Square feet: 4,169

Price: $599,000

Description: Four-bedroom, four-bathroom brick home in Providence subdivision has open floor plan, new roof and gutters, quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and new light fixtures. Home has screened patio and fence in back.

1006 Harwick Drive, Franklin 37067(Photo: Homes.com)

More photos:https://www.homes.com/property/1006-harwick-dr-franklin-tn-37067/id-600029298811/

Read or Share this story: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/williamson/brentwood/2020/08/24/homes-what-599-000-can-buy-williamson-county/5618068002/

Continued here:
Homes: What $599,000 can buy in Williamson County - Tennessean

There are many options for remodeling your home, from a light remodel such as painting and new flooring, to a major remodel that adds living space. Since the home is the largest investment most people will ever make, it is smart to know where to spend your money. And, since the kitchen is the heart of the home, its no surprise that the kitchen is just the place to begin.

The REALTOR ranking of interior projects most likely to add value lists these top three items:

So, a kitchen remodel, from total to partial, accounts for two of the top three ways to add value to your home!

According to Remodeling Magazines 2019 Cost vs. Value report, homeowners recoup approximately 60% to 80% of their costs on a kitchen remodel upon resale. In a hot real estate market like we currently have in Middle Tennessee, you may see an even higher return as long as the remodel is tasteful and on-trend.

If you are considering a partial remodel, dont make the mistake of adding new appliances or countertops to low quality cabinets. Its like putting lipstick on a pig, and you know what they say about that! Just as your home has a foundation for the structure to be built on, the cabinetry is the foundation of your kitchen. Dont scrimp and throw good money after bad by updating everything but old, low quality cabinetry. This will not add value to your home. A potential buyer can even be turned off by the thought of having to rip out new counters placed on old cabinetry.

If your existing cabinetry is high quality and you like the layout, you might suffice with a refresh of new hardware and countertops. Along with painting the walls, these items could yield good results, adding potential value.

We find many older kitchens are low on function and aesthetics. So, a complete remodel would not only yield the highest return on resale, but can also become an investment in the enjoyment of your home. This is really the main motivation to remodel a kitchen in the first place!

Contact Frenchs Cabinet Gallery, LLC to begin the process. Call now to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced designers: 615-371-8385.

Have a question for Frenchs Cabinet Gallery,LLC? Fill out the form below:

Here is the original post:
Adding Value To Your Home Through A Kitchen Remodel - rutherfordsource.com

Bidens White House and his Cabinet would likely lean on his connections from the Obama administration, including institutionalists who are palatable to centrist Democrats. But in the same way Biden shifted left on policy in recent months in response to the pandemic, he is also taking advice from the progressive wing of the party.

Interviews with more than a dozen Democrats familiar with his transition process describe an effort by his campaign to assemble a center-left amalgamation of personnel designed to prioritize speed over ideology in responding to the coronavirus and the resulting economic ruin. Think Susan Rice, but also Elizabeth Warren. Pete Buttigieg, but also Karen Bass.

I think those [ideological] distinctions are going to be a little hard to draw in this administration, said Matt Bennett, whose center-left group Third Way, like others, is developing lists of candidates to propose to Bidens advisers for sub-Cabinet and other roles.

One Democratic strategist familiar with Bidens work to form a government said, Does it mean that the chief of staff wont be [longtime Biden advisers] Ron Klain or Steve Ricchetti or something? No, but it does mean youre going to see some unusual suspects in the government, I think.

Among those advising Biden on the transition are centrist-minded establishment figures such as Tony Blinken, the former deputy national security adviser in the Obama-Biden White House, and Lawrence Summers, the ex-Treasury secretary and bane of progressives who said last week that he will not go into the administration. Ricchetti, Bidens former chief of staff, is a former lobbyist.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is widely viewed as a potential Treasury secretary in a Biden administration. | Samuel Corum/Getty Images

But Biden is also taking economic advice from Warren, Democrats familiar with the campaign say. She is widely viewed as a potential Treasury secretary in a Biden administration. It did not go unnoticed when Biden in April called corporate America greedy as hell. He has also proposed raising the corporate tax rate.

And progressives have been heartened by the composition of his transition team. Headed by former Sen. Ted Kaufman, a longtime Biden adviser and Bidens successor in the Senate, it includes Julie Siegel, who has been a top Warren adviser, and Gautam Raghavan, chief of staff to Rep. Pramila Jayapal, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

"I think this is about getting seasoned people that are really qualified to do the job. People with experience, people that are smart as hell and people that reflect America," Kaufman said in an interview. A lot of this isnt about ideology or anything else. Its totally about what do you do with the incredible hollowing out that Trump has done ... so many of the agencies just are empty, the career people have left.

"Youre going to be walking into a very difficult situation, and a lot of its going to be blocking and tackling.

One name often mentioned as a potential secretary of State is Rice, who was Obamas national security adviser and made Biden's short list for vice president. Blinken is often mentioned as a potential national security adviser.

Tony Blinken is often mentioned as a potential pick for national security adviser. | Getty Images

Warrens potential selection for Treasury could depend in part on the balance of the Senate after the November election. If she steps down, her states Republican governor, Charlie Baker, would appoint her replacement a Republican, presumably until a special election. But there are workarounds.

A veteran Democratic strategist close to Bidens transition team said that if Warren wants a post, she is definitely in the Cabinet. And even if she isnt, she's likely to influence Bidens thinking.

Elsewhere in the Cabinet, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who endorsed Biden in early January and served on his vice presidential selection committee, is a likely candidate for transportation or Housing and Urban Development, among other possible positions. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), another finalist for vice president, could be secretary of HUD or Health and Human Services.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham comes up a lot in Cabinet talks, according to one former Biden adviser who remains in contact with Biden campaign officials. Buttigieg, the former South Bend, Ind., mayor and presidential contender, is seen as a likely choice for ambassador to the United Nations or secretary of Veterans Affairs. And Jared Bernstein, a longtime economic adviser to Biden, is frequently mentioned as a potential chair of Bidens Council of Economic Advisors. Bernstein was among the administration veterans and academics who gave Biden and Harris an economic briefing last week.

Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg is seen as a likely choice for ambassador to the United Nations or secretary of Veterans Affairs. | Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Discussing the kind of leaders he wants to surround himself with at an event in April, Biden said his job is to bring the Mayor Petes of the world into this administration and even if they don't come in, their ideas come into this administration.

He has left open the possibility of including a Republican in the Cabinet and is considering adding a climate-focused position.

I think he will govern like [Bill] Clinton in terms of consensus-building, but he will be surrounded by a lot of Obama people, said former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who served in the Clinton administration as energy secretary and ambassador to the U.N. I believe he will have a free reign for six months, and then if there isnt major, positive change, you know, the fractures in the party will start showing.

The health and economic wreckage from the pandemic has changed Bidens outlook on the presidency and his preparations for a potential administration. Seeing the immediate, post-Trump era in more transformational terms than he did before, he has adopted a more expansive legislative agenda, including more robust college affordability, bankruptcy and Social Security plans. He has significantly expanded his proposal to address climate change, proposing to spend $2 trillion over four years on a suite of programs.

Bidens advisers are preparing for the opening months of his administration almost as a rescue mission, with contingencies to address the coronavirus based on how severe it remains and on whether a vaccine is available.

Rep. Karen Bass could be secretary of HUD or Health and Human Services. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Between Covid-19, what Trumps done and the economy, this is going to be a totally different transition because of that. Its just going to be very, very difficult," Kaufman said.

However, he added, When [Biden] shows up on the first day, hes not going to need to be told where the Situation Room is. Hes been in the Situation Room for hundreds of hours. So hes going to come in as the most experienced and qualified person in terms of federal experience of anybody in the history of the country.

The prospects of Bidens legislative agenda would rest heavily on whether Democrats win the Senate. Just as Biden is preparing to populate the executive branch, he is laying groundwork to move legislation. Biden speaks with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and their staffs are in regular contact.

Last month, Biden signaled an openness to ending the 60-vote filibuster rule, a practice President Barack Obama recently called a Jim Crow relic.

The filibuster is gone, said Harry Reid, the influential former Senate majority leader and a friend of Biden. Its not a question of if, its a question of when its going to go Next year at this time, it will be gone.

The filibuster is gone."

Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

When asked what changed Bidens thinking about the filibuster, Reid said, I dont know. I talked to him and Ricchetti about it. Maybe that helped a little bit. I think, just basically, pragmatism if hes going to get anything done as president, [the filibuster] has got to go.

Biden campaign advisers say he considers his Build Back Better agenda a package that can get broad buy-in, not a legislative starting point. Jake Sullivan, a former top State Department official and a senior adviser to Biden, said that as he formulates his legislative agenda, Biden is being attentive to how you construct a bold, integrated agenda that can also attract a big tent coalition of support.

And Stef Feldman, the Biden campaigns policy director, said that in addition to Biden's legislative experience, he "also knows how to move the levers of government in the executive branch.

Brown, who would likely become chairman of the Senate banking committee if Democrats win the Senate, said it is not Biden "moving to the left," but "Biden, and all of us around him, recognizing this is going to be a very consequential presidency."

The fear among some progressives is that Bidens relationships and penchant for compromise may serve to water down the Democratic agenda. Larry Cohen, the former Communications Workers of America president who now chairs the Bernie Sanders-aligned group Our Revolution, said the inclusion of progressives on Bidens transition team is the reason Im hopeful about a Biden administration.

Invoking Bidens frequent references to FDR, Robert Reich, the Clinton-era Labor secretary, recalled that Roosevelt initially was certainly not thought of as somebody on the left. At first, he placed trust in the nations financial institutions, pursuing a working relationship with both populists and business interests early in his administration.

It was only after businesses balked and the relationship deteriorated that Roosevelt changed course.

Then and now, Reich sad, America was ready and willing and eager to try almost anything.

The country will get behind Joe Biden, I think, in very powerful and important ways, Reich said, adding that Biden has the opportunity to be a transformative president Its almost entirely a function of the times.

Follow this link:
Biden is already forming a government. Here's what his Cabinet could look like. - POLITICO

NOTICE OF INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) IFB #20-006 NVMHI Fire Alarm Replacement DBHDS PC No.: 720-10880-28-08 DEB Permit Code: 720-A9720-003 Sealed bids are invited for the construction of NVMHI Fire Alarm Replacement at 3302 Gallows Road in Falls Church, VA. The project is generally described as a 100% complete fire alarm system replacement throughout the building including but not limited to associated uninterruptible power supply and surge protection systems, equipment racks, enclosures, wiring, cables, devices, and programming. All conduits and components of the fire alarm system to be recessed unless otherwise noted. All locations where existing devices are removed and not replaced shall be patched and painted to match existing. The facility is a 24/7/365 mental health facility. All access shall be approved by the Owner beforehand. Contractor to follow the facility's procedures for health, fire evacuation, COVID-19 testing, storage areas, and Contractor parking. All work areas shall be approved by the Owner each day. The Contractor is responsible for protecting equipment and materials at all times. Any work area shall be cleaned prior to leaving the area at any time. The Contractor shall take direction from the security officers and staff during events. Sealed bids will be received at the Office of Architectural and Engineering Services, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), Commonwealth of Virginia, 1220 Bank Street, 7th Floor, Jefferson Building, Richmond, VA 23219. The deadline for submitting bids is 2:00 P.M. sharp, as determined by the Bid Officer, on September 8th, 2020. The bids will be opened publicly and read aloud beginning at 2:00 P.M., on September 9th, 2020, at the same location. A Bid Bond is required. eVA Vendor Registration: The bidder or offeror shall be a registered vendor in eVA. Procedures for submitting a bid, claiming an error, withdrawal of bids and other pertinent information are contained in the Instructions to Bidders, which is part of the Invitation for Bids. Withdrawal due to error in bid shall be permitted in accord with Section 9 of the Instructions to Bidders and 2.2-4330, Code of Virginia. The Owner reserves the right to reject any or all bids. A pre-bid conference will be held at the NVMHI at 2:00 P.M., on August 27th, 2020. Attendance is mandatory for those submitting a bid. Bidders are asked to meet outside at the main visitor's entrance. To maintain social distancing, the meeting will either be held outside or in the NVMHI gym. All participants are asked to show up wearing adequate Personal Protection Equipment (masks). The contract shall be awarded on a lump sum basis as follows: The Total Base Bid Amount including any properly submitted and received bid modifications plus such successive Additive Bid Items as the Owner in its discretion decides to award in the manner set forth in Paragraph 12 of the Instructions to Bidders. 'Notice of Award' or 'Notice of Intent to Award' will be posted on eVA, Virginia Department of General Services' central electronic procurement website, at https://eva.virginia.gov. Contractor registration is required in accordance with Section 54.1-1103 of the Code of Virginia. See the Invitation for Bids for additional qualification requirements. Under Executive Order 20, July 22, 2014, Cabinet Secretaries and all executive branch agencies are directed to continue and advance the following on a race and gender neutral basis: Exceed a target goal of 42% of discretionary spending with small businesses certified by DSBSD Drawings, Specifications and Invitation for Bid documents are available in electronic format and will be obtained by contacting Cole & Denny Architects. Louis Barbieri (lbarbieri@coleanddenny.com) or Brett Weiglein (bweiglein@coleanddenny.com) will be the contacts for the electronic files and will coordinate the distribution to all requesting contractors.

Go here to see the original:
VIRGINA DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES NOTICE OF INVITATION FOR BIDS: TEXTURIZING KITCHEN MODIFICATIONS, PIEDMONT...

N.W.T. MLAs sat Monday in an emergency session of the legislature after a cabinet minister was stripped of her portfolios in a surprise shuffle last week.

Katrina Nokleby, formerly minister of infrastructure and of industry, tourism, and investment, will face a vote Wednesday on whether she should remain in cabinet.

Premier Caroline Cochrane sought the unanimous consent of the assembly to fast-track discussion of a motion to remove Nokleby from cabinet, but was stymied by Nokleby's single vote against.

MLAs will sit again on Tuesday, beginning at 1:30 p.m. But because two-days notice must be given for motions, a vote on Nokleby's future will not be held until Wednesday afternoon.

In the consensus system of government, all 19 MLAs select the members of cabinet, who are then assigned their portfolios by the premier.

Nokleby currently sits with cabinet as a minister without a portfolio, after Cochrane issued a surprise statement Wednesday saying she no longer had "confidence in the minister and her ability to fulfil her responsibilities."

Cochrane last publicly expressed "complete confidence" in Nokleby on May 29.

Few regular MLAs have offered any public statements about the shuffle, and none have granted interviews with media.

The premier has also repeatedly denied CBC's requests for interviews.

Instead, on Friday, Cochrane posted a five-minute video to a Facebook page with600 followers in which she said she was "reluctant" to offer her reasoningout of "respect for conversations held in confidence."

Nokleby's departments have been the subject of intense criticism from Indigenous governments who say the territory's procurement process is broken, and from tourism operators who accuse her department of unreasonable delays.

She has also been accused of taking a combative tone in discussions with fellow MLAs, according to NNSL.

But in the wake of Wednesday's statement, industry leaders have lined up to voice their surprise at the premier's move, telling Cabin Radio they had few issues with Nokleby's performance.

Late Saturday, Frame Lake MLA Kevin O'Reillyjoined the list of MLAs breaking silence over Facebook about the decision.

In a lengthy post, O'Reillycalled the revocation of a minister's appointment an "awkward and uncomfortable process," and said MLAs "collectively have not done a very good job in explaining how the Legislative Assembly actually works."

His post struck a different tone from Yellowknife North MLA Rylund Johnson and Kam Lake MLA Caitlin Cleveland, who criticized the premier for providing little notice of her decision.

The decision "was conveyed in a timely manner ... and there was a meeting to discuss this move," O'Reilly's post reads. "The Premier explained the decision ... and there was an opportunity to ask questions."

"I thank the premier for taking my concerns seriously and taking decisive action," it concludes.

O'Reilly could not be reached for comment.

O'Reilly is one of four Yellowknife MLAs well-positioned to replace Nokleby in cabinet.

Historical convention holds that two cabinet members are drawn from northern ridings, two from southern ridings, and two from Yellowknife.

If convention held, O'Reilly, Cleveland, and Johnson would all be eligible, as well asYellowknife Centre's Julie Green.

Of those four, only Johnson has ruled out a bid for a cabinet seat.

Selecting Nokleby's replacement, should she be voted out, will require more sittings, during which candidates for her seat in cabinet will present their case to MLAs and a winner will be decided in a secret ballot.

According to a release from the assembly, the emergency session is expected to conclude bySept. 1.

Continued here:
Move to fast-track N.W.T. minister's exit stymied by her single 'nay' vote - CBC.ca

With Gavin Williamson facing no repercussions over the exams algorithm shambles, Alex Andreou argues that the more incompetent a minister is, the more likely they are to do well under this administration

It is supremely ironic for this Government to be so preoccupied with the spectre of unmerited qualifications. For never has a group of such ill-qualified individuals held such high office. Anyone dismissing the dangers of grade inflation needs to look at the current Cabinet as its consequence.

A clear pattern is beginning to form. Whenever there is a major fiasco necessitating a U-turn, three things happen: Boris Johnson disappears, the minister involved stays put, a proxy is blamed. In time, Downing Street will announce that it considers the matter closed.

And so it is with Education Secretary Gavin Williamson and the exams scandal.

The convention of individual ministerial responsibility the notion that if things go horribly wrong in your department, on your watch, you walk collapsed long ago. Lord Carrington was the last to do the honourable thing in 1982 (with the possible exception of Estelle Morris in 2002, paradoxically over an A Level marking snafu, much more anodyne than Williamsons). But at least ministers usually have the decency to make a case for why this was an administrative, rather than a policy, mistake.

These ministers are sandbags of incompetence, keeping at bay a rising tide of moral outrage. Why would those at the top kick them over?

Weve had no such explanation from Williamson. Asked again and again by interviewers whether he had offered his resignation or even considered his position, he did a Blackadder-trying-to-avoid-the-order-to-advance impersonation. Sorry, Sir? Bad line. Schnell, schnell, kartoffeln!

What has been more surprising is how poorly the affair was judged politically. It was instantly obvious, from the moment Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon walked into a press conference and told assembled journalists that using an algorithm had been the wrong thing to do, that Downing Streets position was untenable and a U-turn inevitable. This has, after all, been a Government of U-turns three of them within Williamsons brief.

Yet he opted to carry on blithely for days, allowing the wrong grades to be issued, resulting in a university admissions nightmare, before he appeared on our television sets saying how sorry he was, but blaming everyone except himself. The decision to dig his heels in wasnt Ofquals judgement and it wasnt a civil servants advice it was him.

Then there was Williamsons claim that the first he knew of the problems with the algorithm was last weekend. Indisputable evidence emerged that he was warned of precisely the risks which materialised six weeks ago by a top civil servant and had a meeting to discuss them.

So the question becomes: what will it take for Boris Johnson to sack someone?

Part of the problem is a complete lack of moral authority at the top. How can an administration installed in part by nefarious donations sack Robert Jenrick for doing favours to a donor? How can Johnson fired twice for lying sack anyone for being less than truthful? How can Dominic Cummings who drove up and down the country during lockdown force anyone to resign for breaking the rules?

These ministers are sandbags of incompetence, keeping at bay a rising tide of moral outrage. Why would those at the top kick them over? The tide will only start lapping at their incompetent ankles. They are a serpentine series of dominoes, each frantically supporting the tile ahead, because they know what happens if it falls.

The other part of the problem is that Johnson cannot sack someone for reasons they werent hired. Integrity and competence were never part of the brief when it comes to Williamson, who was fired by Theresa May for leaking information from the National Security Council. Liz Truss, one of the most perplexingly over-promoted choices, has taken to deleting trade meetings from the register, as personal.

Rishi Sunak is much more likely to be squeezed out for being too good than Gavin Williamson, for being unremittingly awful.

Priti Patel was elevated to one of the great offices of state, after being sacked by May, for having a series of unofficial business meetings with Israeli officials and misleading the then Prime Minister about them. When her most senior civil servant left the department over her alleged bullying, nobody batted an eyelid. Even Liam Fox, who quit David Camerons Cabinet in disgrace, is making a comeback as the UKs preferred candidate to take over as head of the World Trade Organisation.

The only incentive to sack a Cabinet member is a genuine belief that a replacement will improve the overall quality of the decision-making group. In a Cabinet of nincompoops, headed by a shyster, sacking one less-than-ideal minister, simply advances the next less-than-ideal minister into the crosshairs. A minister knows full well that they need only wait a couple of days before another minister does something outrageous and they are off the hook.

Three criteria appear relevant for Cabinet eligibility: blind loyalty to the Brexit cause, complete obedience to Cummings, and not being seen as a potential rival to Johnson.

The only prominent Cabinet member forced to resign was the Chancellor Sajid Javid because he had a high profile and wanted to retain a level of independence. On this calculation, Rishi Sunak is much more likely to be squeezed out for being too good than Gavin Williamson, for being unremittingly awful.

Anger and resistance has been built into the calculation. I must have heard surely, Williamson has to go a hundred times over the past week. There is no more surely with this Government. It is Government by trolling. The angrier we get at it, the more convinced it becomes of its success.

More:
Boris Johnson's Cabinet of No Talents is Doing the Job it was Hired To Do - Byline Times